Oat-based frozen confection

ABSTRACT

A non-dairy frozen confection formed from a frozen syrup product. The syrup product having a major amount of an oat flour. The non-dairy frozen confection exhibiting selected sweetness, texture, and mouthfeel characteristics while being devoid of exogenous sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and proteins.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

This application is a Continuation-in-Part Application of Ser. No.08/379,398, filed Jan. 26, 1995 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to frozen confections. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to an oat-based, non-dairyfrozen confection.

Consumers are increasingly concerned about purchasing and consumingproducts that the consumers view as being more healthful. For example,products possessing higher levels of complex carbohydrates and fiber arebecoming more popular with consumers. In addition, products containinglower levels of fat and cholesterol as well as a decreased caloriccontent are becoming more popular with consumers. There is also agreater awareness to create products for consumers who need to excludedairy products from their diets due to allergies.

A variety of non-dairy compositions possessing the above characteristicshave been developed. An article by Janet Raloff (Beyond Oat Bran, FoodTechnology 1991 (8), at 62) describes the physiological benefits ofconsuming an oat-based product, which is identified by the name Oatrim.The oat-based product is formulated from either oat bran or oat flour.The article indicates that the odorless and nearly tasteless oat-basedproduct is particularly suited as a fat replacement in low-temperatureapplications, such as frozen confections.

The oat-based product is described in further detail in Inglett, U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,996,063 and 5,082,673. A mixture of oats and water isgelatinized by passage through a steam injection cooker at a temperatureof between 138° C. and 143° C. After the pH of the mixture is adjusted,alpha-amylase enzymes are added to hydrolyze the starch in the mixture.Once hydrolyzation is complete, soluble fiber is separated from themixture. Finally, the soluble fiber is dehydrated to provide theoat-based product. Examples in the Inglett patents indicate that theoat-based product is mixed with additional components, such as milk andsugar, to formulate the frozen confection.

Mitchell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,992, discloses using a dual enzymemethod, which includes liquefying and saccharifying rice, to produce ahigh glucose syrup. Examples in the Mitchell et al. patent indicate thatwhen the syrup is incorporated into a frozen confection, vegetable oilin a concentration of approximately 10 percent by weight of the frozenconfection as well as stabilizers are added to provide the frozenconfection with a creamy texture.

Murtaugh et al., U.S. Pat. No 4,908,223, discloses an oat- or rice-basedfrozen confection and a method of preparing the frozen confection.Murtaugh et al. describes cooking an aqueous mixture of oats or rice.After the cooking is complete, liquefying, sweetening, and flavoringagents are added to the mixture so that the frozen confection exhibitsice cream-like characteristics.

Several fruit-based frozen confections have also been developed. Forexample, Feldpausch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,614, describes using bananas toproduce a non-dairy confection. Blake et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,155,discloses that any fruit, which can be made into a puree, is suitablefor use as a base of a frozen confection. Blake, U.S. Pat. No.4,244,981, describes using citrus juice vesicles as the primarycomponent of a frozen confection.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a non-dairy frozen confection. Thenon-dairy frozen confection is formed from a syrup that is frozen usingconventional techniques. The syrup is produced by liquefying andsaccharifying a starch source, which is primarily oat flour or waxybarley hybrid flour. The non-dairy frozen confection exhibits icecream-like characteristics without exogenous sweeteners, stabilizers,emulsifiers, or proteins.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention includes a frozen confection. The frozenconfection is made from a sweet, bland, and clean tasting syrup product.The syrup product is substantially prepared from oat flour or waxybarley hybrid flour.

The frozen confection of the present invention has several advantagesover prior art frozen confections. The frozen confection exhibitsdesirable sweetness, texture, and mouthfeel characteristics withoutexogenous sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, or proteins, which arecommonly used in prior art non-dairy frozen confections. As used herein,the term "mouthfeel" refers to a creamy sensation that a personexperiences in one's mouth upon consuming ice cream. As used herein, theterm "exogenous" refers to components that are added to prior art frozenconfections to supplement or modify the characteristics of the prior artfrozen confections.

Furthermore, when producing the frozen confection of the presentinvention, the syrup product does not require emulsification orhomogenization. The prior art non-dairy frozen confections typicallyrequire emulsification and homogenization to produce characteristicsthat are commonly associated with dairy-based frozen confections.

The properties of the frozen confection are dictated by the particularoat or grain components selected. It has been found that using a lowbran flour, which is depleted in bran while retaining soluble fiberglucans, provides a frozen confection with desired characteristics. Thetypical compositional analysis of low bran oat flour is similar to wholeoat flour for moisture, protein, and fat, as illustrated in Table 1.However, low bran oat flour contains a lower level of bran than wholeoat flour. Low bran oat flour also retains a substantial percentage ofthe soluble fiber that is present in whole oat flour.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Composition  Whole      Low Bran Patent                                       (weight percent)                                                                           Oat Flour  Oat Flour                                                                              Oat Flour                                    ______________________________________                                        Moisture     11         11       10                                           Protein      18         15       11                                           Fat           7          7       5-6                                          Total Dietary Fiber                                                                         9         10       3-4                                          Beta-Glucan   4          7       1-2                                          ______________________________________                                    

While it is also possible to use oats or grains having a significanthull, bran, or husk portion to formulate the syrup, syrup formed fromthese materials must be separated from insoluble branny particlespresent in the syrup before the frozen confection is produced from thesyrup. As an alternative to using the oats in the form of flour, it isalso possible to practice the present invention with other forms ofoats, such as rolled oats, partially milled oats, and oatmeal. Thesevarious forms of oats are collectively identified as "oat material".

One particular oat flour possessing a low level of bran or hull materialis patent oat flour. Patent oat flour is a fraction of the whole oatflour obtained from a mill stream early in the oat milling process. Thepatent oat flour contains a smaller concentration of the bran or hullmaterial than oat flour stream occurring later or downstream in themilling process. This oat flour is referred to as patent oat flourbecause it has similar characteristics to patent wheat flour that isproduced by a process commonly used in the production of wheat flour forbread or other baked products.

The typical compositional analysis of patent oat flour is similar towhole oat flour for moisture, protein, and fat, as illustrated inTable 1. Patent oat flour also retains a substantial percentage of thesoluble fiber that is present in whole oat flour. However, patent oatflour contains less bran or insoluble fiber and more starch than wholeoat flour.

The various fractions formed in the oat milling stream produce frozenproducts with varied characteristics. The fractions high in solublefiber, including whole oat flour and oatmeal, tend to give very smoothand somewhat "dry" texture to soft-serve frozen dessert, while thosehigher in starch content (e.g., patent oat flour) tend to provide moresweetness. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that a desiredset of finished product characteristics may be obtained by selecting anappropriate oat starting material or blend of available oat millingfractions. For example, the frozen confection may be formed from amixture of patent oat flour and whole oat flour. Oat mill productspossessing these characteristics can be obtained from various sourcesincluding Conagra, Inc (Council Bluffs, Iowa) or Grain Millers(Minneapolis, Minn.).

It has also been found that a waxy barley hybrid flour also providesdesirable results when used with the present invention. The waxy barleyhybrid is a hull-less barley that is preferably selected from theprowashneupana variety, which can be obtained from Conagra, Inc.(Council Bluff, Iowa). The typical compositional analysis for theprowashneupana waxy barley hybrid is set forth in Table 2.

                  TABLE 2                                                         ______________________________________                                        Composition     Waxy Barley                                                   (weight percent)                                                                              Hybrid Flour                                                  ______________________________________                                        Moisture        14                                                            Protein         20                                                            Fat              7                                                            Total Dietary Fiber                                                                           29                                                            Beta-Glucan     14                                                            ______________________________________                                    

Other starch sources can be used in conjunction with the oat flour orwaxy barley hybrid flour to adjust the flavor and sweetness of thefrozen confection. While other starch sources may be used in thepreparation of the frozen confection, the other starch sources onlyrepresent a minor portion of oat or grain material that is used toprepare the frozen confection. The oat flour and waxy barley hybridflour comprise a major portion of the oat or grain material that is usedto prepare the frozen confection.

Examples of starch sources that are suitable for use in the presentinvention include flours, such as corn flour, wheat flour, rice flour,and potato flour. It is believed that the addition of other starchsources to the oat flour or waxy barley hybrid flour does not affect thefunctional properties of the frozen confection, such as texture andmouthfeel characteristics, associated with ice cream-like qualities.

As a preliminary step in the preparation of the frozen confection, theoat flour or waxy barley hybrid flour is preferably milled to a finegranulation. The term "fine granulation" means less than 10 percent ofthe oat flour or waxy barley hybrid flour was retained on a 200 U.S.mesh screen. It has been found that a oat flour or waxy barley hybridflour possessing this granulation produces a non-dairy frozen confectionwith a smooth texture.

A base formulation is created by blending the selected starch sources. Aslurry is formed by mixing the base formulation into water in an amountthat is effective to provide a solids level of between 25 and 33 percenton a dry matter basis. The water is preferably potable tap water that isprovided at a traditional faucet temperature of about 10° C.

Changing the solids level allows the sweetness of the non-dairy frozenconfection to be adjusted. For example, increasing the solids levelcauses an increase in the sweetness of the non-dairy frozen confection.

Alpha-amylase enzymes are then added to the slurry. The alpha-amylaseenzymes are preferably alpha-1,4-glucan, 4-glucanohydrolase, which isderived from Bacillus subtilis. The alpha-amylase enzymes not onlyproduce liquefaction in a random fashion over a broad range oftemperatures (65° C. to 92° C.) but also retain its activity when usedat temperatures of less than 80° C.

The alpha-amylase enzymes are preferably food grade alpha-amylaseenzymes, which can be obtained from Genencor International (Rochester,N.Y.) under the designation MULTIFECT H-39C. The MULTIFECT H-39C enzymesare added to the slurry in a concentration of between 0.0020 and 0.0080percent by weight of the slurry and preferably in a concentration ofapproximately 0.0040 percent by weight of the slurry.

Converting the starch mixture into the syrup product is preferablyaccomplished using a two-step process. The first step, which is referredto as liquefaction, involves converting the slurry into an intermediatesyrup. Liquefaction includes two elements. In the first element,microscopic starch granules in the starch mixture swell and eventuallyrupture. Rupturing of the microscopic starch granules causes theviscosity of the slurry to significantly increase. Once the viscosity ofthe slurry significantly increases, the starch is referred to as beinggelatinized. Gelatinization renders the starch more susceptible topartial hydrolysis.

In the second element, the alpha-amylase enzymes cause the starch topartially hydrolyze into dextrin. In conjunction with the partialhydrolysis of the starch, the viscosity of the slurry is reduced. It hasbeen found that performing liquefaction at a temperature of less than75° C. minimizes the off-flavors that are present in the slurry whenliquefaction is performed at a temperature of greater than 75° C.

The slurry is heated to a temperature of approximately 58° C. to 10 60°C. at which the viscosity of the slurry visibly increases. As analternative to visually observing the increase in the slurry viscosity,the viscosity increase in the slurry may be determined by monitoring theamperage requirement of the mixing motor.

After the viscosity of the slurry increases, the rate at which theslurry is heated is decreased to allow the slurry to uniformly gel. Thedecreased heating rate also avoids scorching the slurry, which resultsfrom the rapid decrease in heat transfer caused by the increase in theviscosity of the slurry. Once the slurry reaches a target temperature ofapproximately 75° C., the slurry is maintained at the target temperaturefor approximately 1 hour.

The hold time allows the alpha-amylase enzymes to liquify the starch asthe starch gels by converting the starch into dextrin. The conversion ofstarch into dextrin causes the slurry to change into an intermediatesyrup. As the slurry is converted into the intermediate syrup, the rawflavor of the slurry is reduced. The reduction of off-flavors in theintermediate syrup can be monitored by tasting samples of theintermediate syrup at selected intervals while the slurry is held at thetarget temperature.

The intermediate syrup is then hot filtered to remove portions of theslurry that have not been broken down during the liquefaction process.Conventional screens or filters having a U.S. mesh size of 30 or smallerare suitable for use with the present invention. The filteredintermediate syrup is then cooled to a saccharification temperature ofbetween approximately 60 C. and 65° C.

In the second step, which is referred to as saccharification, thedextrin in the filtered intermediate syrup is converted into glucose.The conversion of dextrin into glucose causes the syrup product toexhibit a high degree of sweetness.

The dextrin is preferably converted into glucose using glucoamylaseenzymes. The glucoamylase enzymes are also referred to as fungal1,4-alpha-D-glucan glucohydrolase, which can be obtained from GenencorInternational (Rochester, N.Y.) under the designation SPEZYME GA 300.

The concentration of the glucoamylase enzymes is selected based upon thedesired length of the saccharification time. For example, it has beenfound that using a glucoamylase enzyme concentration of between 0.090and 0.130 percent by weight of the filtered intermediate syrup providesa saccharification time of between 1 and 3 hours. Alternatively, using aglucoamylase enzyme concentration of approximately 0.016 percent byweight of the filtered intermediate syrup with a saccharification timeof up to 24 hours provides a syrup product with similar properties.

An advantage of using glucoamylase enzymes in the process of the presentinvention is that the pH of the filtered intermediate syrup does nothave to be adjusted to obtain a desired enzyme activity.

At a given concentration of glucoamylase enzymes, the sweetness of thesyrup product can be changed by varying the saccharification time. Forexample, increasing the saccharification time increases the sweetness ofthe syrup product.

After the syrup product obtains a desired degree of sweetness, the syrupproduct is cooled to a temperature of approximately 10° C. Because ofthe combined effect of low temperature used for the starch conversion,the absence of salt, and the low bran (insoluble fiber) content of thepatent oat flour, the syrup product is clean and bland with nooff-flavors.

The syrup product may be then flavored as desired using flavoringingredients that are known in the art. For example, vanilla or cocoa maybe added to the syrup product to produce vanilla or chocolate flavorednon-dairy frozen confection. It may also be desirable to add a dairy orcream flavor to the syrup product so that the non-dairy frozenconfection tastes more similar to ice cream.

The flavor of the syrup product may be enhanced by the addition of asmall concentration of a flavor enhancer. Various flavor enhancers areknown in the art and are selected based upon the particular flavoringingredients that are used in the non-dairy frozen confection. It is alsopossible to enhance the flavor of the non-dairy frozen confection byadding salt in a concentration of approximately 0.35 percent by weightof the syrup product. It is believed that adding salt to the syrupproduct after the syrup product is formed minimizes off-flavorsresulting from the addition of the salt while the syrup product is beingprepared.

After the syrup product is flavored, the syrup product is frozen toproduce the non-dairy frozen confection. The freezing is accomplishedusing processes and machines that are conventionally used to producesoft-serve or hard-pack prior art frozen confections.

The non-dairy frozen confection of the present invention surprisinglyexhibits desirable functional characteristics of a frozen confection butdoes not require the use of exogenous sweeteners, stabilizers,emulsifiers, or proteins to produce the desirable functionalcharacteristics. For example, the sweetness of the non-dairy frozenconfection results from the glucose produced during the saccharificationstep.

The non-dairy frozen confection exhibits desirable viscositycharacteristics without the addition of exogenous sweeteners,stabilizers, emulsifiers, or proteins. It is believed that the desirableviscosity characteristics result from the naturally occurring fiber andgums in the starch sources. In particular, the texture of the non-dairyfrozen confection depends upon beta-glucan being naturally present at alevel sufficient for beta-glucan to act both as a stabilizer andtexturizing agent in the syrup product.

Additionally, the non-dairy frozen confection exhibits texture andmouthfeel that are similar to ice cream, frozen yogurt, and othersimilar frozen confections. It is believed that the naturally occurringfat, protein, and fiber in oats result in the non-dairy frozenconfection exhibiting a smooth mouthfeel characteristic. Furthermore,the syrup product does not require emulsification or homogenization toproduce the smooth mouthfeel characteristic in the non-dairy frozenconfection of the present invention.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that additives,such as pectin, gums, emulsifiers such as mono- and di-glycerides,bodying agents including cyclodextrose and maltodextrins, and the like,may be added to change the texture of frozen confections made primarilyfrom oats. However, such additives are unnecessary for the production ofa satisfactory soft-serve frozen confection, and would tend to lessenthe consumer appeal of a product free of additives.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would also appreciate that thesyrup produced in the present invention could be used to formulate itemsother than frozen confections. For example, the syrup may be used toproduce shakes and malts. The syrup may also be incorporated intocarbohydrate-loading beverages that take advantage of the same physicaland nutritional characteristics that make the syrup of the presentinvention useful for frozen confections.

The product and method of the present invention are described in thefollowing examples. These examples are provided as an illustration ofthe invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

The characteristics of the non-dairy frozen confection of the presentinvention were studied using a blend of 70 percent by weight patent oatflour and 30 percent by weight rice flour.

A starch mixture was prepared by dry-blending 1.91 kilograms of patentoat flour with 0.82 kilograms of rice flour. Both the patent oat flourand the rice flour had a sufficiently fine granulation such that lessthan 10 percent of the starch mixture was retained on a 200 U.S. meshscreen.

The starch mixture was then mixed into 6.35 kilograms of potable tapwater to form a slurry. Next, 0.36 grams of alpha-amylase enzymes(MULTIFECT H-39C) were added to the slurry.

As the slurry was being mixed, the slurry was heated to a temperature ofbetween approximately 58° C. and 60° C. At this point, the viscosity ofthe slurry noticeably increased. The rate of heating was then decreasedto avoid scorching the slurry. Once the slurry reached a targettemperature of approximately 75° C., the slurry was maintained at thetarget temperature for 1 hour to allow the slurry to be converted intoan intermediate syrup.

Next, the intermediate syrup was hot filtered through a 30 U.S. meshscreen to remove unconverted portions of the slurry. The filteredintermediate syrup was then cooled to approximately 60° C.

While mixing, 8.6 grams of glucoamylase enzymes (SPEZYME GA 300) wasadded to the filtered intermediate syrup. The mixing was continued whilethe filtered intermediate syrup was maintained at approximately 60° C.for 3 hours such that the syrup product was formed.

The syrup product was then cooled to approximately 10° C. and 6.63 gramsof salt were mixed into the syrup product. The syrup product was sweet,bland, and clean-tasting.

EXAMPLE 2

In a continuously stirred vessel, approximately 6 pounds of low bran oatflour were mixed with approximately 14 pounds of water and about 0.36grams of alpha-amylase to form a slurry. The slurry was heated toapproximately 62° C. in 14 minutes. The slurry was then further heatedto about 75° C. in an additional 10 minutes and held at 75° C. for onehour to convert the slurry into an intermediate syrup. Next, theintermediate syrup was cooled to approximately 60° C. in 11 minutes, andabout 8.6 grams of glucoamylase added. The intermediate syrup wasmaintained at a temperature of 60° C. for approximately 105 minutes toconvert the intermediate syrup into a syrup.

The syrup was chilled and filtered through a 40 mesh screen. Next, thesyrup was then filtered through a conical filter with a slotted mediumhaving slots about 200 microns wide. The sugar content of the filteredsyrup was examined using a Brix analysis and found to have a refractiveindex corresponding to a 21 percent by weight sugar content.

A mixture was formed by combining the filtered syrup with flavoringagents at a concentration of approximately 2 percent by weight, cocoa ata concentration of approximately 2 percent, and salt at a concentrationof approximately 0.2 percent. Finally, the mixture was frozen in asoft-serve machine (Taylor Model 152) to produce a frozen confection.The frozen confection was sampled and determined to have desirabletexture characteristics.

EXAMPLE 3

In a continuously stirred vessel, approximately 6 pounds of low bran oatflour were mixed with approximately 14 pounds mineral water and about0.36 grams of alpha-amylase to form a slurry. The slurry was heated toapproximately 60° C. in 18 minutes. The slurry was then further heatedto about 75° C. in an additional 13 minutes and held at 75° C. for 65minutes to convert the slurry into an intermediate syrup. Theintermediate syrup was then cooled to approximately 59° C. in 11minutes, and about 8.6 grams of glucoamylase was added. The intermediatesyrup was maintained at approximately 59° C. to convert the intermediatesyrup to a syrup.

The syrup was first cooled and then filtered with a conical filterhaving slots approximately 200 microns wide, by continuous agitation.Filtering separated a wet bran cake weighing approximately 475 gramsfrom the filtered syrup, which weighed approximately 3000 grams. Amixture was then formed by blending the filtered syrup with flavoringagents at a concentration of approximately 2 percent by weight, cocoa ata concentration of approximately 2 percent by weight, and salt at aconcentration of approximately 0.2 percent by weight. After the mixturewas frozen in a soft-serve machine to produce a frozen confection, thefrozen confection was found to have a desirable texture. The frozenconfection was stored in a household type refrigerator for 17 days andfound to have a texture similar to commercial low-fat frozen dessertsafter this time period.

EXAMPLE 4

A slurry was formed by dispersing approximately 560 grams of rolled oatsand about 0.6 grams of alpha amylase in approximately 1300 grams of coldwater. The slurry was held at room temperature for approximately 3hours. The slurry was then heated to approximately 180° C. over a periodof three hours using a hot water bath to convert the slurry into anintermediate syrup. The intermediate syrup was next cooled toapproximately 60° C. and mixed with glucoamylase. The intermediate syrupwas maintained at about 60° C. for approximately one hour to convert theintermediate syrup into a syrup. After cooling to room temperature, thesyrup was filtered through a conical filter with 200 micron slots. Whenthe filtered syrup was flavored and frozen to form a frozen confection,the frozen confection had a smooth and dry texture.

EXAMPLE 5

Cold water (175 pounds), salt (0.5 pounds), alpha amylase (25 grams),and oatmeal (75 pounds) were mixed to form a slurry in a stirredjacketed vessel. The slurry was slowly heated to a temperature ofapproximately 76° C. over a period of approximately 7 hours to convertthe slurry into an intermediate syrup. The intermediate syrup was thencooled to approximately 66° C. Next, glucoamylase was added to theintermediate syrup and the intermediate syrup was held at a temperatureof at least approximately 60° C. for approximately 1.5 hours to convertthe intermediate syrup into a syrup. The syrup contained an unreactedstarch portion that was separated from the syrup by heating the syrup ina simmering water bath for one hour and then filtering through a200-micron filter. The filtered syrup was flavored and frozen using asoft-serve machine to form a frozen confection that exhibited a verycreamy-type texture.

EXAMPLE 6

In a jacketed vessel equipped with wall-wiping agitators, approximately75 pounds of whole oat flour and about 25 milliliters of alpha-amylaseenzyme were mixed into approximately 175 pounds of water to form aslurry. The slurry was heated to a temperature of approximately 58° C.over a period of one hour, and thinned slightly with about 30 pounds ofwater. The slurry was heated further to 83° C. over approximately onehour to convert the slurry into an intermediate syrup. After cooling toapproximately 64° C., the intermediate syrup was mixed with 75milliliters of glucoamylase. Next, the intermediate syrup was held at atemperature of approximately 60° C. for one hour to convert theintermediate syrup into a syrup. The syrup was then cooled to roomtemperature and filtered with a juice extraction machine to separate theinsoluble fiber from the syrup. The filtered syrup was flavored andfrozen in a soft-serve machine (Taylor Model 152) to produce a frozenconfection. The frozen confection was found to have desirable texturecharacteristics.

EXAMPLE 7

Cold water (129 pounds), alpha-amylase enzyme (3.5 grams), andapproximately 50 pounds of partially milled oats (commonly referred toas "quick" oats) were combined in a jacketed stirred vessel to form aslurry. The slurry was heated to a temperature of approximately 71° C.over a period of about two hours. The slurry was then held at thistemperature for one hour and then cooled to 66° C. to convert the slurryinto an intermediate syrup. Glucoamylase enzyme (50 milliliters) wasadded to the intermediate syrup. The intermediate syrup was furthercooled to approximately 60° C. and maintained at this temperature forone hour to convert the intermediate syrup into a syrup. The syrup,which had a very thick consistency, was diluted with water and filteredon a juice extraction machine to separate insoluble fiber from thesyrup. The filtered syrup was flavored and frozen in a soft-servemachine to form a frozen confection. The frozen confection was found tohave a very smooth texture and relatively low sweetness.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A non-dairy frozen confection comprising a syrupproduct that is frozen, the syrup product being formed from a liquefiedand saccharified slurry that contains a base formulation and water,wherein the base formulation comprises a major amount of an oat materialor waxy barley hybrid flour, and wherein the non-dairy frozen confectionexhibits selected sweetness, texture, and mouthfeel characteristicswhile being devoid of exogenous sweeteners, stabilizers, emulsifiers,and proteins.
 2. The non-dairy frozen confection of claim 1 wherein theoat material is whole oat flour, low bran oat flour, patent oat flour,rolled oats, partially milled oats, oatmeal, or combinations thereof. 3.The non-dairy frozen confection of claim 1 wherein the syrup productfurther comprises a minor amount of corn flour, wheat flour, rice flour,potato flour, or combinations thereof.